Education
Free school meals opportunity for WG
THE WELSH GOVERNMENT has a unique opportunity to make sure that children from low-income families don’t go hungry, writes Victoria Winckler, Director of the Bevan Foundation.
Each year, around one in six of Wales’ school pupils claims a free school meal because their parents receive a benefit such as Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers’ Allowance or Income Support. At around £2.50 a go – £12.50 a week per child – this is quite a big help.
And the benefits of a nutritious midday meal are not just financial: a decent meal contributes to better concentration in the afternoon and ensures low income children have better diets too.
UNIVERSAL CREDIT CHANGES
The introduction of Universal Credit means that new rules about who can get a free school meal are needed. Universal Credit is set to be in place for new claimants in all parts of Wales by the end of 2018. The process of switching existing claimants to UC will take place gradually from 2019.
Universal Credit is paid to families where someone is working as well as families which are out-of-work. This means that the old rules for getting a free school meal can no longer be used.
In anticipation of this, the National Assembly for Wales passed the Free School Lunches and Milk (Universal Credit) (Wales) Order in 2013.
Put simply, this piece of secondary legislation enabled the children of all recipients of UC to receive a free school meal, irrespective of circumstances, while the benefit was being rolled out.
In practice, the numbers of children who benefited from the new rule were likely to be very small as the roll-out of UC doesn’t apply to claimants with children.
As Universal Credit is set to be rolled-out to all types of households, including those with children, the UK Government is cutting back on eligibility.
The plan is that children in families receiving UC which have an income from work of more than £7,400 will not be eligible for a free school meal.
The move has prompted a row in the House of Commons about the UK Government allegedly ‘taking away’ free meals from a million children, with equally furious counter claims.
It’s worth checking Channel 4’s Full Fact for the details, however.
CHANNEL 4 FULL FACT ANALYSIS
There’s some respectable maths behind Labour’s claim that a million children will lose out on free school meals after the government introduces a means test.
But they haven’t mentioned two key points:
- No one who is currently eligible for free school meals under Universal Credit will lose their entitlement.
- In fact, under Universal Credit, 50,000 more children will receive school meals by 2022 than would have done under the previous benefits system.
This is not a case of the government taking free school meals from a million children who are currently receiving them: it’s about comparing two future, hypothetical scenarios. Both of them are more generous than the old benefits system.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN WALES?
Universal Credit, as everyone knows, is not devolved. But free school meals are. It is for the Welsh Government to decide who can receive a free meal.
Provision is already less generous in England, where all infant pupils get a free meal regardless of their families’ income. The question is whether the Welsh Government will follow the same route as the UK Government for children in families receiving Universal Credit.
WHAT ABOUT THE COST?
Because the UK government has limited the eligibility for free meals in England there’s no Barnett consequential to help cover the cost of increasing eligibility in Wales.
But that is no reason to make Wales’ poorest children pay.
Aneurin Bevan famously said in 1949 ‘the language of priorities is the religion of Socialism‘. And on this he was right.
At the same time as Wales’ least well-off children have to pay £12.50 a week for a dinner, there’s free bus travel on the Traws Cymru service for anyone, a subsidised canteen for Assembly Members and government officials, and free swimming for over-60s.
If you had to choose who got the freebie, who would you select?
Any change to the rules will be via an order to be considered by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee.
If the Welsh Government is serious about the well-being of future generations, there is not better case for investing in the health and education of Wales’ children than this.
STAFF, volunteers and visiting pupils at Lower Treginnis Farm were delighted to welcome a very special guest on Wednesday (April 2), as Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal visited the site in support of the charity Farms for City Children.
The Princess Royal, who has served as Patron of the charity since 1991, spent the afternoon touring the farm, which lies just outside St Davids and is the most westerly farm in Wales. It was her fourth visit to the site since first attending in 2010.
Farms for City Children was founded by author and former Children’s Laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo and Lady Clare Morpurgo. The charity provides immersive week-long farming experiences for urban children, helping them connect with nature, food production and rural life.
During the visit, The Princess Royal met children from Pembroke Dock Community School as they took part in hands-on farm activities including grooming donkeys, feeding rare-breed piglets, and planting vegetables in the market garden.
She also joined the children for a coastal workshop led by Câr y Môr, Wales’ first regenerative seaweed and shellfish farm, which operates just off the nearby shoreline.
Her Royal Highness was accompanied on her tour by Gethin Jones, Farm School Manager, and later met members of The Friends of Treginnis—a local fundraising group that has supported the charity since 1991. Over the past three years, the group has raised more than £30,000 to help schools from across Pembrokeshire, including Pembroke Dock Community School, take part in the farm’s week-long programmes.
Before departing, The Princess Royal was introduced to members of the charity’s staff and to Aled Davies, the farm’s local partner farmer. She was then presented with a gift of fresh farm produce by two pupils, Erin Hubbard and Jack Kinnard.
Tim Rose, Head of Operations for Farms for City Children, said: “We were delighted to welcome The Princess Royal to Lower Treginnis and to share the experience of being ‘farmers for a week’ with her. Her visit was greatly enjoyed by everyone at the farm and it was our pleasure to be able to show her how the work of the charity interacts with so many different aspects of the Pembrokeshire community.
“We are hugely appreciative of Her Royal Highness’s continued support and enthusiasm for the work that we do.”
Quarter of UK training squad from Welsh colleges
STUDENTS and apprentices from colleges across Wales are competing for a place on Team UK at the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai next year – often referred to as the ‘skills Olympics’.
Of the 80 young people selected by WorldSkills UK and Pearson to take part in the 18-month training programme, 20 are from Wales – making up around a quarter of the team.
WorldSkills is considered the ultimate global test of vocational and technical excellence, and the 2026 event in Shanghai will be the first time China has hosted the prestigious contest. Over 1,500 competitors from more than 80 countries are expected to take part, showcasing skills in disciplines ranging from engineering and digital technologies to hospitality and the creative industries. The event will be watched by more than 250,000 spectators.
The UK will compete in over 30 disciplines, including 3D Digital Game Art, Robot Systems Integration, and Renewable Energy.
One of those selected for the UK’s training squad is Madeleine Warburton, 19, a student at Coleg Llandrillo’s Rhyl Campus. Madeleine won silver in Renewable Energy at the UK national finals in 2024.
She said: “I wanted to expand my knowledge within the renewable sector outside of college and work – to help improve my skills for when I go on site, learn more about solar, and meet like-minded people.
“I would definitely encourage anyone to compete. No matter how far you get in the process, it’s a huge benefit. I’ve learnt so much and developed transferable skills. My confidence has grown massively, and I’ve made friends for life.”
Minister for Skills, Jack Sargeant, said: “We have so much to look forward to in skills competitions in Wales. Between hosting the WorldSkills UK Finals in November and seeing this strong cohort working towards Shanghai, our economic future is in good hands.
“With 20 Welsh competitors in the mix, Wales is showing once again that a small nation can make a big impact. This is a long process – but I wish ‘pob lwc’ to everyone aiming for final selection.”
Thousands still eligible before application window closes on 31 May
FAMILIES across Wales are being urged to apply for the School Essentials Grant before the deadline on Saturday, 31 May, 2025, with up to £200 available per child to help cover the rising costs of school-related expenses.
The Welsh Government’s grant offers £125 for each eligible learner and £200 for those entering Year 7, acknowledging the higher costs associated with starting secondary school.
Uniforms, coats, shoes, stationery, sports kits, musical instruments, and equipment for after-school clubs are among the many essentials the grant can help pay for.
Currently, 90% of those eligible have already applied – but thousands of families across Wales could still be missing out on vital financial support.
What is the School Essentials Grant?
The grant is part of a wider support package for low-income families, children in care, and those seeking asylum. It is available to all eligible learners aged 4 to 16 in any school setting, including special schools and pupil referral units.
To qualify, parents must receive one or more of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit, and annual income under £16,190 before tax)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (for four weeks after stopping qualifying)
- Universal Credit (with annual net earned income under £7,400, excluding benefits)
Even if a child already receives Free School Meals, families must still check their eligibility separately to access the School Essentials Grant.
Beth Williams, a teacher at Maesyrhandir CP School in Newtown, said: “The School Essentials Grant is a massive help to parents. We all know how hard it is, especially if you’ve got more than one child, to buy all the things that they need, and it all comes at once.”
Support for schools too
As well as the direct financial support to families, schools also benefit from the Pupil Development Grant (PDG), which helps reduce barriers to learning by providing additional resources.
Caroline Bufton, Headteacher at Maesyrhandir CP School, explained: “It’s very important for parents to check their eligibility because this allows us to have funding which is vital to supporting their children.”
How to apply
Applications must be made through the local authority, and families can apply every year for each eligible child. The current application window closes on Saturday, 31 May, 2025.
Eligible families will receive:
- £125 per child in primary or secondary school
- £200 per child entering Year 7
To check eligibility and apply, visit: gov.wales/get-help-school-costs
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